Editorial: Budget compromise a good first step

As a piece of legislation, the bipartisan compromise budget bill recently passed by both houses of Congress and sent to President Obama will never be recognized as an outstanding document.

Its primary benefit is that it eliminates the possibility of another federal government shutdown in 2014 similar to the 16-day, partial shutdown that occurred earlier this year as congressional Democrats and Republicans engaged in a face-off, each waiting for the other side to blink. The bill does shuffle around some spending, but the end result really doesn’t do much to address the national debt or the annual federal budget deficits.

That said, it must be recognized as evidence there are people in Congress willing to negotiate and deal with their counterparts in the opposing political party. In that sense, the budget bill was indeed a welcome sign, and it is hoped the compromise bill won’t be the last to come from this Congress. Certainly, this country’s citizens are ready for their elected representatives to snap out of the gridlock that has defined Congress since before the 2012 elections.

Should anyone doubt that, they need to take a look at public opinion polls that place Congress’ favorable rating somewhere south of 15 percent (before the budget bill compromise).

The next federal election year begins in a matter of days and voters aren’t exactly pleased with the inaction that has marked Washington, D.C., in recent years. That knowledge may well have provided the impetus for cooler heads to negotiate the budget bill, and it should provide some incentive for Congress to attack some of the serious issues facing this country, including its spending habits.

No one doubts the national debt and budget deficits must be addressed. Given the current balance of power among the House, Senate and White House, negotiation and compromise are essential. It also would be beneficial because a majority of the voters want solutions closer to the center than the options proposed by the politicians on the far left or the far right.

And members of Congress are sent there to represent the voters, aren’t they?

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